Bridge Over Troubled Water
by hug-a-hufflepuff
Summary: Cho Chang is desperately trying to piece her life back together after the loss of her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory. For some reason, George Weasley wants to step in and be her shoulder to cry on, but she is skeptical. Why is this prankster suddenly being sincere, and can she trust him to help her survive? Cho/George
1. Chapter 1

Cho ran from Madam Puddifoot's shop, tears streaming down her face. She had just utterly humiliated herself in front of Harry Potter. Her heart ached for Cedric, who had died less than a year earlier. Perhaps that was why she was attracted to Harry in the first place; he had been there, right there, when Cedric was murdered. He had witnessed it, and perhaps Cho thought that they could sympathize together. She missed Cedric terribly. She was certainly not ready to go back to Hogwarts, at least not in this state. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes puffy and red, her nose running. It was embarrassing. Cho was usually known as a confident girl, one who played with the hearts of boys and had them following her around like sad puppies. It was sometimes tiring; Cho sometimes just wanted a normal relationship, and once she had gotten one, her boyfriend had gone and died on her.

Cho threw herself onto a bench in a rather abandoned corner of Hogsmeade, wiping at her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. She sniffled, trying to get herself together. She saw that she was getting a few looks from the very minimal passersby, but she didn't care. She had just made a complete fool of herself and she wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and never come out. She drew her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them, raven-colored hair falling around her like a curtain. Here, on this bench, she could hide from the world. Or so she thought.

Suddenly, she could feel someone next to her. Cho desperately hoped that it wasn't Harry; in fact, a loud sob escaped her at the thought. She knew that she would never speak to him again, but it was okay. She didn't think that she truly fancied him, anyway. Still, the thought of him coming after her was too much for her to think about, and she kept her head buried, her eyes squeezed shut with all of her might, tears still slipping from between her eyelids and wetting the knees of her jeans. Perhaps if she made herself small enough, she could disappear into thin air, or melt into the bench and become a part of it forever.

"Cho? Cho Chang?" A voice suddenly flowed into her ears, a voice that was distinctly not that of Harry Potter. That relieved her for only a fleeting moment. Who had come to find her, who was sitting her watching her cry? She was beyond humiliated, and she could feel her cheeks burning as she thought about some stranger watching her sob into her knees. "Cho, Cho, please stop crying." Why couldn't she place that voice? It sounded so familiar, and yet so strange at the same time. She knew that she had heard it a thousand times before, but perhaps not in this comforting tone. Cho snuck a peek by tilting her head slightly to the side and opening one eye. Through the blur of tears, the only thing she could see was a spot of bright ginger. A Weasley? One of the Weasley boys was here, sitting on this bench with her?

"Cho, please. Come on." A comforting hand laid itself on her shoulder and she considered pulling away, but she was grateful for the contact. It calmed her a bit, and she felt as though she could breathe again. Cho lifted her red, puffy face to look at her companion, wiping her eyes on her sleeve once again so that she could see properly. One of the identical Weasley twins sat next to her, smiling sympathetically. Cho huffed, embarrassed, looking away from him. Why was he here? Had he seen her run from the tea shop? Had he followed her to this bench? She knew that the two boys were known as jokers and pranksters, and the last thing she needed right now was some boy laughing at her and making jokes about what an emotional mess she was.

"P-please," she sputtered, slamming her eyes shut again. "Please, j-just… just leave me alone." The hand did not leave her shoulder.

"Cho, please. I don't want to see you crying."

"Then leave!" Cho shouted, hugging her knees to her chest as tightly as she could. "Get away from me! Leave!"

The hand slipped from her shoulder, and when Cho looked next to her, the bench was empty. Another sob escaped her and she stood quickly, taking off running for the castle. She had had about enough of Hogsmeade for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Cho sat at the breakfast table, away from her friends in Ravenclaw. She sat at the very end of the table, close to the doors of the Great Hall, keeping her head down over her toast. Her eyes were still red and swollen, her head pounded from the amount of crying she had done the previous day. Besides the fact that she had made a scene at the tea shop, she had viciously yelled at one of the Weasley twins, whichever he was. She tried to keep her eyes from the Gryffindor table, but eventually, that was where they wandered. First, her gaze settled on Harry, surrounded by his usual entourage of Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and a few others. He seemed to be unfazed by the previous day's events, and Cho was glad for that. At least he wouldn't be spreading rumours about her around the castle, and that was a comforting thought. As she scanned the rest of Gryffindor table, however, her eyes caught the gaze of one of the Weasley twins. He was staring at her, a horribly worried look on his face. She had never seen one of those boys without a joyful look on his face, and it was almost unsettling, especially the way his gaze lingered on her. Cho looked away, swallowing the last of her toast and swiftly leaving the Great Hall.

Breaking into a run, Cho headed outside. It was still early, and classes were going on today, so she knew that she could go to her favorite place and not be interrupted. She felt relieved when the Quidditch pitch came into sight, and she ran as fast as she could, feeling a familiar comfort as she wandered onto the stands. She came to a halt, sliding her robe off of her shoulders and leaving it on one of the seats. She then pulled her wand out, pointed it in the air, and yelled, "Accio Broom!" as loudly as she could. As she waited for the broom to arrive, Cho placed her bag on the bench and stuck her wand into her back pocket. She turned just in time for the broom to fly into her hand and she quickly mounted it, kicking off and soaring into the sky.

The rush of the wind on her face was refreshing. Cho had loved Quidditch and flying for as long as she could remember. She felt at home on a broom. Up here in the air, zipping around the pitch, Cho didn't have to think about humiliating herself. She didn't have to think about Cedric or Harry or anyone else. She could just focus on the sky above her and the air around her, clear and crisp.

Suddenly, a blur flew past her, and Cho panicked. Who else was out here flying? Then, she saw that familiar flash of red, and she stopped in midair, hovering high above the ground as the blur flew back around, stopping in front of her. They hovered there, looking at each other. Cho frowned. Why was he following her around all of a sudden? She didn't even know which twin he was until she noted that his jumper had a large letter G on the front of it. So, it was George Weasley that had been all but stalking her.

"Cho," he said softly, and her heart melted. Cho wasn't sure what he was up to, but the pained way that he said her name made her want to at least hear him out. She flew down to the ground, shooting him a look that meant for him to follow. He did, and they both touched down on the grass of the pitch. She dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged, and motioned for him to sit across from her. He obliged, and they sat, looking at each other in silence again.

"Cho, I know that yesterday was-" he stopped. "Look. I know that things have been really difficult on you lately. Cedric dying, I can't even imagine how hard that was on you. I've been seeing you around the castle ever since, and you just look so… I don't know, so sad. So broken. And then I heard that you had a date with Harry, and when I saw you running out of Madam Puddifoot's… I'm sorry I followed you, but I was worried." Worried? Cho was confused. Why was George Weasley worrying about her?

"I probably sound completely mad," he continued, and Cho kept her mouth shut. She had yet to hear anything come out of his mouth that she wanted to respond to. "But honestly, Cho, you need someone to talk to, and something about this whole situation makes me want to be that person. I know that we don't know each other very well, but I'm a really good listener, and I hate to see anyone so upset, and…" George trailed off. "I don't know, now I'm rambling, I suppose. But what do you say? Do you think you would want to talk about what you've been going through?"

Cho simply stared at the boy sitting before her. "Why do you want to talk about Cedric?" she asked slowly, and George shrugged a shoulder.

"I dunno. I mean, his dad and mine are friends, and I knew the bloke a little bit. I guess I more want to talk about how you're feeling than about Cedric specifically."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded a little more harshly. Cho couldn't understand why everyone was so interested in the fact that Cedric had died; it was something sad, something devastating, not something to be bringing up every chance there was. She was tired of people asking her how she was doing, she was tired of being asked about Cedric. "Why can't you people let me mourn in peace?" Cho stood up angrily.

"Cho, please," George pleaded. "I didn't mean it that way, I-"

"I don't care how you meant it," Cho spat. She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Why don't you just leave me alone? I don't know why you care so much, this doesn't concern you at all."

When she turned around, George was gone again. Cho dropped to the ground again, lying in the grass with her arms spread out on either side of her. When she closed her eyes, the memories came.

"_Cedric, wait for me!" Her voice and laughter rang clear in the cool, starlit night. The moon was bright overhead as Cho wrestled her shoes off of her feet, trying to run after the very athletic Cedric Diggory in her beautiful kimono-inspired dress. Cedric simply laughed back at her and ran faster, causing Cho to throw her shoes to the ground and break into a sprint._

_Cedric stopped, acting as though he was catching his breath, and Cho darted past him, running onto the Quidditch pitch. As soon as she turned around to see where Cedric was, she was suddenly tackled to the ground, both of them laughing. They lay next to each other in the grass, fingers entwined, counting the stars together._

"_Cedric, you can't count all of the stars," Cho insisted, but he shook his head._

"_I don't have to," he assured her, shooting her a sweet smile. "I have the brightest one here with me." Cho smiled and Cedric squeezed her hand before tugging her closer. He turned to his side and pulled Cho's face closer to his, pressing their lips together sweetly._

_Cho's toes curled from the sheer beauty of the kiss that they were sharing. She threaded her hands into his hair, the light from the inside of the castle barely illuminating the two of them. The Yule Ball would still be going on for hours, but the two of them didn't care. Here they were, in their own world, sharing a perfect moment. Cho had never been happier._

_Cedric groaned as Cho tugged on his hair with her slender fingers and his hands stroked her waist, wrapping around her body and pulling her flush against him, eliciting a sigh from her. Their kiss deepened as their bodies entwined._

_Finally, Cedric had to pull away for air, but he continued to plant kisses down Cho's cheek and neck, nipping at her soft, glowing skin. Cho gripped his hair in her hands, twisting it gently and throwing her head back to allow him access._

_Cedric's hands slid up Cho's back, finding the zipper of her dress. He pulled it down and then quickly whipped off his robe, spreading it out on the ground. He scooped her up and placed her on top of the robe, and Cho smiled at him; he was always so thoughtful. Her nimble fingers slid from his hair and began to make quick work of the tiny buttons on his dress shirt and untying his bow tie. Once the shirt hung loose from his shoulders he tugged it off, tossing the garment to the side._

_Cho lay back and looked at Cedric's toned body as he slid her dress off of her shoulders, inching it down over her body until she lay there in her matching sky blue underwear set. The color in the moonlight against her skin was breathtaking, and they both spent a few minutes simply looking at each other in awe._

_After a few minutes, Cedric swung a leg over Cho's body and leaned down, pressing their lips together forcefully. Cho let out a soft moan at the contact, gripping his muscular shoulders as he ravished her mouth. His tongue made its way past her lips and teeth, curling around her own tongue and making her sigh with contentment. Cedric pressed his body against hers and Cho reveled in the feeling of their bare skin brushing against each others'._

_Cho's hands slid down Cedric's toned back until she hit the fabric of his dress pants. They danced nimbly along the hem until they reached the front of his pants, and Cedric broke the kiss, panting as he watched Cho flick the button of the pants open and draw the zipper down. Cho was pleased, albeit a little nervous, to find that he already had an erection. She had never gone this far with a boy before, despite the many rumours that circulated about her sex life._

_Cedric maneuvered his way out of his dress pants, tossing them in the opposite direction of Cho's dress; it didn't matter where their clothes went in the heat of the moment. Now, he was only in his boxers, and she was only in her bra and panties. When he leaned down to kiss her neck, the contact made her shudder. Cho pulled him closer by his neck and head, arching her back against him._

_Cedric continued to trail kisses from her neck down between her breasts, his hands kneading them over her bra. Cho gasped at the new sensations coursing through her body and Cedric fumbled for the clasp of her bra. Finally, he found it, and he freed her breasts from their confines, exposing them to the cool night air. Cho felt as though she should have been more self conscious, but something about Cedric made her want to give him absolutely every part of her. Besides, his hands on her bare breasts was the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced, and she wanted more. Cho let her hair down from the intricate style that it was in, and her raven locks spread around her head like a halo._

_Cho sighed in pleasure as Cedric dipped his head and closed his mouth over one nipple, both of which were perked up from the chill in the air. After all, it was almost Christmas, and it was cold outside. Still, the heat between them kept them from freezing. Cedric worked the other breast with his hand as he sucked forcefully on her nipple, and Cho squirmed beneath him, her pelvis occasionally brushing against his still-erect penis. Cedric moaned hungrily against her breast, causing her to arch into his touch. _

_Cedric broke away from Cho's body and quickly rid himself of his boxers, his erection finally free from all confines. Cho looked at it with wide eyes, and before she knew what she was doing, her hand darting out to stroke him curiously. Cedric's head fell forward as a needy moan erupted from his throat. Cho was startled and pulled her hand away, but when his eyes locked on hers immediately afterward, she replaced it and began stroking him tentatively._

"_Cho…" he whispered. "Oh, Merlin, Cho, I've been wanting this for so long."_

_Cho couldn't help but smile at his reaction; of course, boys always had similar reactions to her, but this was different. This was Cedric, and Cho truly loved him. This was really a special moment._

_Finally, Cedric stopped her from stroking him again, entwining their fingers. "You have to stop," he gasped, crushing his mouth against hers. "And you need to lose these," Cedric growled against Cho's lips. He hooked his index finger around her panties and tugged them down, tossing them out of the way. Then, he simply sat back and looked at her in all of her glory._

"_Cho… you are so beautiful," he breathed, and she couldn't help but flush pink and smile at him. "I love you."_

"_I love you too, Cedric," she replied, and he leaned down to kiss her passionately, but gently. There was something so sweet and sincere about the kiss that it made Cho's heart flutter._

_Still, the kiss became more and more passionate as it continued, and Cho found herself writhing beneath Cedric's muscular body. "Cedric… please," she whined, not even truly knowing what she was asking for._

_Cedric's hand slid down her body, brushing over each breast before he reached her womanhood, which was more dripping wet than he had expected. "Merlin, Cho, you'll be the death of me," he muttered, and she laughed softly. Once his fingers made their way into her folds and found a spot that she had never known was there, her laughter was replaced by sighs and moans of pleasure._

"_Oh, Cedric," she sighed, gripping his shoulders with her fingers and arching her back to increase the contact. Cedric slipped one finger inside of her, causing her to gasp sharply and dig her nails into his skin. "Cedric, please," she begged, and he leaned down to kiss her._

"_You only had to ask, love," he assured her, removing his hand and cupping her face gently, but kissing her roughly. Cho could feel his erection pressing against her womanhood, and somehow, she knew that was what she wanted._

"_Cedric, I'm ready," she whispered huskily into his ear, and he groaned in anticipation. Still kissing her, Cedric lined himself up with her womanhood and began to thrust himself inside._

_Once he came to a barrier, he stopped. Cedric knew that Cho was nervous, but he could also tell that she wanted this as much as he did. He kissed her hard, trying to distract her from the imminent pain that was about to come._

_Cho returned his kiss and felt him thrust harder, crying out against his mouth as he broke through her barrier. Soon enough, though, her pain turned to pleasure, and she was writhing beneath him again as he continued to thrust in and out of her._

"_Oh, Merlin, Cedric!" she cried, not caring who heard. Honestly, everyone was still inside at the ball; nobody would hear them all the way out here on the Quidditch pitch. Cedric, encouraged by her outburst, continued his actions. His hands held her hips tightly, while her fingertips gripped his shoulders for leverage as he moved in and out of her, her pleasure increasing with every thrust. This was all new to her, but she was glad that her first time was with Cedric._

_Suddenly, Cho felt all of the new sensations overcoming her and warmth began to pool in her abdomen. She felt as though she was on the brink of something, although she didn't know what it was. All she knew was that she wanted to get there. Cho held onto Cedric's shoulders as he continued to move in and out of her, faster and faster, until a wave of pleasure overcame her entire body. She let out a pleasured moan that sounded a lot like Cedric's name as the pleasure wracked her body for a few more seconds before she relaxed. Suddenly, Cedric had pulled out from inside of her quickly and expelled his seed on her stomach, growling her name through clenched teeth. Once he was finished he smiled sheepishly at her, grabbing his wand. "Tergeo," he muttered, and her stomach was clean and dry. Cedric leaned down to kiss her, and Cho knew that she could have laid there with him forever._

When Cho opened her eyes, she found that there were tears streaming down her face. She quickly wiped them away, wincing as her face stung with the contact; she'd already been crying too much. She stood and gathered her things from the stands and resolved that she had better get to class before she was late.


End file.
